July 14, 2014

Traveling with Food Allergies: Tips and Resources for eating safe on the road


Plan ahead! Unfortunately, flying by the seat of your pants is not something you can do. Go ahead and plan out what and where you are going to eat. Feel free to be spontaneous- just have a back up plan that is safe for you.

Grab the Find Me GF app! This free app allows you to search restaurants near your location to find GF options. I suggest calling ahead to confirm that they have menu items that fit your diet. Also, be sure to ask about their cross-contamination protocol.

Grab the Allergy Eats app! This free app allows you to search restaurants that cater to various food allergies! You can search establishments that have options without peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, soy, gluten, wheat or sesame.

Over pack snacks! Before you hit the road, load a cooler with drinks, water, fruit and cheese sticks- unless you're allergic to them! Also, bring snacks that don't require refrigeration such as fruit cups, single serving applesauces or a custom made trail mix.

Reserve a room with a kitchenette! The best way to eat safe is to cook your own food. It sucks to cook on vacation, but it is not as bad as getting sick on your vacation! Plan easy meals that require little prep and clean up. Make and take a lunch with you. (This tip is also a money saver)

Look into Allermates bands for your kiddos! They have a selection of fun wrist bands for your little ones to alert others about food allergies or medical conditions.

Bring your card! Print out this free chef card to alert the servers and kitchen staff of your dietary limitations.

Check with the airline! If you are flying, pack your own in flight snacks. Be sure to check TSA guidelines for what you need to avoid bringing. When booking your flight, follow these important steps if you have a contact allergy.

Be prepared for the worst! If you have a life threatening allergy to certain foods, you should be sure to bring your EpiPen and know where the closest medical facility is. Print and fill out this Emergency Care form! If your reaction is to gluten- check out these steps from MindBodyGreen.com to decrease the discomfort!

If you want to see all of these pointers in one place- check out our TRAVEL TIPS Pinterest Board!


Happy trails to you!



Are you planning a trip soon?




71 comments:

  1. Admittedly much harder when traveling out of the country, but in countries where rice or corn are the dominant grain, you're usually in good hands. My favorite places are ones who expressly tell you what kind of tortillas they use on the menus. Why yes, I will have a ton of nachos, please!

    Also great for those with allergies? Cruises. The cruise lines are excellent about handling food allergies. I eat a little too well on Carnival each time because everything they make for me (and anyone else who's GF) is just as delicious as anything else they make. Also, if I go elsewhere on the ship outside of the dining room, the chefs are able to tell me "yes" or "no" if something has gluten in it. They are very careful about their diligence, because, y'know...liability.

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  2. Great post! I did not know about the GF app. I will have to share that with my patients! <3

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  3. I like that they care so much about folks with allergies! Glad your kids are protected safely!

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  4. Those would be great to throw into a beach bag. I'd never heard of Bare Belly before this post. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Sun protection is so important. Especially for the little ones. This brand sounds pretty good

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  6. I love that deodorant stick form. My daughter would have loved that when she was little. She always wanted to put on "de-ont" as she called it. It would have been nice if it would have been sunblock instead of deodorant she liked to slather all over her body lol.

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  7. This is a brand I have not heard of but it sounds like it is a great sun screen product. I will be checking this out.

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  8. Hi Autumn,
    Thank you so much for letting me know,I will contact you asap.

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  9. How cool are those sticks?! I bet kids love using those instead of getting slathered with creams.

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  10. Our food allergy isn't common, but it those foods are out there. Great tips about the apps.

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  11. What food allergy? Raspberries?

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  12. This is good to know. We are traveling next month to Disney with friends of ours and their son has a tree nut allergy.

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  13. That's awesome to know. We don't have any known allergies, but I can imagine these would be great resources for a family with allergies!

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  14. I've been more and more concerned about the chemicals that are in products that I give my child. I want to check out this brand.

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  15. This sounds like a really useful App.We are lucky that we do not have to worry about anything like this but I will keep it in mind if anyone asks :).

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  16. That is a great way for the kids to learn/work on their skills and have fun doing it. My kids LOVE sidewalk chalk, so they are always outside playing with it.

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  17. What a great app. I have never heard of it but that is so perfect for those with allergies to worry about.

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  18. We're mostly done with traveling for the summer. I love that there are apps for finding GF and allergy-friendly places. And I always try to book a suite that involves a kitchenette (or a full kitchen.) It just makes traveling so much easier.

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  19. This is great for kiddies learning.I can not remember the last time we got the chalk out.My kiddies love hopscotch then again so do I lol.

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  20. These are some wonderful tips! I will be passing this post along to some parents I know who have children with food allergies. Thanks for these great tips!

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  21. what a great to teach fine motor skills. Bet M had fun without even knowing that she was learning at the same time.

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  22. Awesome post, I love the comparison pictures - so informative! Thanks for sharing! I really would love to get some of this for my 5 year old and 2 year old.

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  23. Great tips! I've got to check out that app! So glad you found us at The Blogging Bunch!

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  24. Wait spray-on sunscreen is out really??? I think this brand you display looks amazing I love natural products always a plus I definitely want to try these products especially the face balm that different!

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  25. That's the one!

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  26. wonderful tips. Food allergies can be so scary! Going to check this out now!

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  27. I hadn't heard about the spray on sunscreen announcement. I am trying to use more all natural things because i have sensitive skin. I hadn't heard of this line but I will have to give it a try.

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  28. Sidewalk chalk is great for so many things. I never thought about using it for teaching fine motor skills.

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  29. Even I Love playing with sidewalk chalk! So fun!

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  30. Great ideas. Chalk is so much fun. I love to have kids learn and send time outdoors.

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  31. This is a great way to improve motor skills. I love this as a warm weather activity too.

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  32. Sidewalk chalk is the best we use to play with it a lot now son is into paints.

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  33. Very good tips and important to remember.

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  34. I love the idea of a card for the chef. This takes out some of the hassle and confusion

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  35. I love this product! I have a kid with sensitive skin, so this is the only thing I can rely on.

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  36. I love these tips, I am so not familiar with food allergies as I haven't had anyone around me with one, but they sound so scary! Thanks for sharing some tips! I am currently planning our annual Summer trip to York Beach, Maine.

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  37. I hadn't thought my kids would be ready for hopscotch, but after reading this, I think it'd be a great way to help them. My older daughter has some motor delays too, and she never wants to work on it. Thanks!

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  38. Oh, these are such great tips! Passing on to friends who have kiddos with allergies!

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  39. That's awesome that there's an app. I'm headed on a trip this weekend and some of the others going were asking about GF options nearby.

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  40. These are all great tips. I definitely think it's important to plan ahead and no your options.

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  41. I hope that my post helps! Let me know if they use the apps!

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  42. Thank you for sharing!

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  43. Great! Let me know how it goes!

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  44. AND the eye rolling!

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  45. They are local to Atlanta!

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  46. Me too! Thanks for having me!

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  47. Thank you for sharing!

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  48. We would so be friends! AND our kids could be friends too! Why do you live so far away???

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  49. Disney has a great food allergy awareness program!

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  50. I had no idea there were apps for allergies, that's awesome. I bet that is so helpful. The chef card is cool too.

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  51. Never heard of this brand, but the ingredients along sound amazing.
    Is it only available online or can I find it in Whole Foods?

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  52. TouristMeetsTravelerJuly 15, 2014 at 8:21 PM

    Chalk is a great way to bring out a kids creativity.

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  53. I always let my toddler explore her creative side with chalk in the driveway. Nothing says summer like sidewalk chalk.

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  54. I will definitely be trying this. We only use natural sunscreens. The more natural the better. I don't trust all the chemicals in most stuff. This sounds right up my alley.

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  55. Elayna ~ The Positive MOMJuly 15, 2014 at 10:31 PM

    I love that they were excited with the bucket of chalk. Children are so innocent and sweet. Look at them hop - no one would ever guess it's her first time! :)

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  56. An app for allergies...see an app for everything literally! Great tips and very informative post!

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  57. My kids are older so they won't use these, but am liking that idea for the neighborhood kids

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  58. Will be going on a trip with my boys next week. Great tips!!

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  59. Tammy_3DifferentDirectionsJuly 15, 2014 at 10:51 PM

    What great tips for those that have family members with allergies and are planning a trip, especially if they've just been diagnosed with them and are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Renting a room with a kitchenette is a super idea because it would relieve a lot of anxiety since you could cook just as if you were at home.

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  60. Those are great tips! I had no idea that there was an app for that

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  61. no trips since we've already had our vacation. But these are great tips!

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  62. Elizabeth @ Food RamblingsJuly 16, 2014 at 7:05 AM

    I think planning ahead and snacks are KEY! Great advice :)

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  63. It is so smart to plan ahead. Thank you for sharing these helpful tips!

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  64. We dont have any food allergies here, but I do tend to research the local eats and figure out my best options for my $$. I'm pretty good about planning ahead and even packing food so we dont have to spend so much on eating out.

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  65. I like the stick application. I bet the kids would like doing that.

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  66. Joyce,


    We are online and at local Farmers' Markets currently. We have flat rate shipping of $2.99 and often ship same day as an order is placed. We would love for you to try our products!
    www.barebellyorganics.com

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  67. Thanks for the info! It's amazing how many chemicals are in products. Natural is always the best way to go, I say!

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